Elevator for store-service apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model) B. A. RORKE.

ELEVATOR FOR STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented July 8, 1890.

7 A a J" A T TORNE Y 8.

ans cm, PrluTO-LITHO (NO Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. RORKE. ELEVATOR FOR STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 431,788. Patented July 8, 1890.

IIVVEAITOR:

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. A. RORKE. ELEVATOR FOR STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 431,783. PatentedJuly 8, 1890.

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INVENTOR:

WITNESSES: 22, 6

A 77 ORNE Y 8.

THE NORRIS Farms co., mow-mum, wAsNmGwh, n. c.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. RORKE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR FOR STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,783, dated July 8,1890.

Application filed August 16, 1889. Serial No. 321,011. (No model.)

, Track for Store-Service Railways, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide a means for transferring orswitching a carrier from a dispatch-track to a return-track in astore-service railway where the ends of the tracks are in diiferentvertical and horizontal planes, the one track located below the other.To this end a switching-track is employed which is adapted to be movedvertically and also horizontally into position with the end of adispatch-track or return-track of a store-service railway.

The invention consists in a combined elevator and switch track forstore-service rail-I drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicate.

corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the switch-track in connectionwith forwarding-v traok of a store-service railway. Fig. 2 is a detailside view, with parts broken away, of one of the pivotal portions of theswitchingtrack. Fig. 3 is a view of the upright upon which theswitch-track is mounted and of the drum upon which the cord is woundthat operates said switch-track, the upright being shown in verticalsection and the drmnin elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of theswitch-track in connection with the returntrack of a store-servicerailway. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the spring-drum forelevating the switch-track, on the line a: 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is aplan view, partly in horizontal section, on the line y y, Fig. 1; andFig. 7 is an enlarged detail side View of a portion of the invention asshown in Fig. 1. r

In the construction of store-service railways it occurs that theterminus of a discarrier reaches the terminus of the dispatchtrack totransfer it to the return-track. To accomplish this, I have provided aswitching track and elevator which will receive the carrier from thedispatch-track and may be moved with it into position with the return.-track to transfer the carrier thereto.

In carrying out this invention a preferably hollow upright or post 1 ismounted on a counter 2 or other suitable support, and located adjacentto the terminus of the dispatch-track 3 and the end of the return-track4 of a store-service railway. The tracks 3 and 4, as here shown, eachconsist of doubletrack rails 3 3 and 4 4', respectively, the end of thetrack 4 being located above the end of the track 3 in a diiferentvertical and horizontal plane.

Upon the upright 1 is mounted a verticallymovable elevator and switchingtrack 5, formed with the track-rails 5 5, connected together at one endby a cross-bar 6 and of a length to bring their other ends adjacent tothe ends of the rails 3 3 or 4 i. The switch- .track 5 is mounted on theupright 1 in any ends, an arm 8' projecting laterally from one side offrame 7 and terminating in a sleeve 9, movable on the upright 1, and acord 10 is fastened at one end to the top. of frame 7, extending upwardover a pulley 11 in a slot 12 in the upper end of upright 1 and downthrough the latter to a drum 13, mounted beneath the counter 2 andcontrolled by a spring 14 to wind up the cord 10 thereon.

The upright 1 is provided with a dovetail strip 15, terminating at oneend adjacent to the top of post 1 and at the other end ashort distanceabove the counter 2.

The sleeve 9 is formed with two internal vertical dovetail grooves 16and 17 the groove 17 engaging the strip 15 when the switchtrack 5 is inposition to connect with the end of track 3, as shown in'Fig. 1, and thegroove '7 16 engaging the. strip when the switch-track 5 is in positionto engage the end of track 4, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to shunt a carrier from the switchtrack 5 onto the return-track4, the switchtrack 5 is connected to the frame 7 by means of pivot-pins18, formed with a diametrical angular notch or recess 19, and located insockets 20 in the lower end of the uprights 8 of frame 7, and having anangular projection 21 equal in size to half of the recess 19. The innerend of the switch-track 5, or that portion thereof on one side of itspivots adjacent to the end of dispatch-track 3, is longer than theportion on the other side of the pivots, or may be weighted so as tocounterweight the switch-track 5 and hold it in connection with the endof track 3, one side of the recess 19 bearing against the projection 21.When a carrier runs onto the switch-track 5 from the dispatch-track 3upon passing the pivots 18, it counterbalances the switch-track 5, tiltsit, and is brought to a stop by a depending proj ection thereon strikingagainst the cross-bar 6. At the end of switch-track 5 adjacent to theend of track 3 or 4 it is provided with a lateral pin 22, which as thetilted switch-track 5 is raised into juxtaposition with the end of rail4 engages an arm 23, projecting from the end of one of the rails 4', andas the switchtrack 5 is raised tilts its inner end into connection withtrack 4. By this movement the carrier which is at the outer end ofswitchtrack 5 is caused to be moved over switchtrack 5 and shunted ontothe return-track 4.

In use the switch-track 5 is normally held in connection with theterminus of dispatchtrack 3, as shown in Fig. 1, an inwardly-yieldingspring-stop 24, projecting through a slot in post 1, engaging the top ofsleeve 9 and holding the switch-track 5 from being drawn upward by theaction of the spring 14 on the drum 13 and cord 10. In this normalposition the groove 17 of sleeve 9 engages the strip 15. Upon a carrierhaving run onto the switch-track 5 from the dispatch-track 3 and beingbrought to a standstill against crossbar 6, with the switch-track 5 in atilted position, the latter is drawn down 011 the post 1 until thesleeve is moved over an inwardlyyielding spring-stop 25, similar to thespringstop 24 and in line therewith, pushes in the spring-stop 25, isbrought beneath it and be low the strip 15, and is held by the stop 25.The contents of the carrier having been inspected, the switch-track 5 isswung laterally tobrin g slot 16 of sleeve 9into engagementwith strip15. The switch-track 5 is then drawn up by the action of spring 14 ondrum 13 and cord 10, a vertical opening 26in the sleeve 9, with taperingsides 27, permitting the sleeve 9 to pass the spring-stops 24 and 25.The inner end of the switch-track 5 ascending now in the same verticalplane as that in which the end of the return-track 4 is located, andarriving adjacent to the end of track 4,

is tilted by the pin 22 thereon striking beneath the arm 23, and the.carrier on the switch-track is thereby shunted onto the return-track 4.In the upward movement of the switch-track 5 just referred to the sleeve9 moves over a yielding spring projection 28, having an inclined portion29 at its upper end and located in post 1 above and at one side of theupper end of a strip 15. Upon the sleeve 9 passing above the springprojection 28 the lower end of the tapering side 27 of opening 26farthest away from groove 16 is brought above the inclined portion 29 ofspring projection 28. The switch-track 5 may then be drawn down by meansof a cord 30,

suspended from frame 7, and the inclined portion 29 engages the taperingside 27 of sleeve 9, guides the sleeve 9, and turns it so as to bringthe groove 17 into engagement with strip 15 when the switch-track 5 isdrawn down on the upright 1 to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1.

While I have described a specific construction of parts, I do not intendto limit myself thereto, as the parts may be varied without departingfrom the essential features of the invention.

It is obvious that a weight may be used instead of the drum and itsspring, and that the cord 10 may extend outside of post 1 instead ofinside; but the latter is preferred as being more sightly and keepingthe parts out of the way.

I-Iavingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a store-service railway, the combination,with the hollow upright1,havingthe dovetail strip 15, terminating at a distance from and 25adjacent to its lower end, in combination with the sleeve 9, mounted onupright 1 and having dovetail grooves 16 and 17, the cut-away portion26, with inclined sides 27, the frame 7, with tilting elevator 5, havingstoppin 22 at one end, the return-track 3, the dispatch-track 4, withthe projection 23, the

, drum 13, with retracting-spring 14, and the cord 10, passing pulley 11and connected to frame 7, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a store-service railway, the inverted- U-shaped frame 7, withdepending arms 8,

' having sockets 20, with angular projection 21,

and the tilting switch-track 5, with cross-bar 6 at one end, andpivot-pins 18 at its sides, with angular recess 19, substantially asshown and described.

8. In a store-service railway, the combination, with a post having ayielding guide projection with a tapering upper end, of an elevator witha sleeve movable on the post and having an opening at one side with atapering edge to guide and turn the sleeve and elevator, substantiallyas shown and denal dovetail grooves 16 17, adapted to alterscribed.nately engage the strip 15, substantiallyas 1o 4. The combination,withthe uprightl, havdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

ing the strip 15 thereon, of the sleeve 9, adapted to slide upon theupright, having means, EDWARD RORKE' as shown, for connecting it withthe switch- Witnesses:

track 5, having opening 26, with inclined sides EDWARD W. CODY,

27, to guide the sleeve, and having the inter- E. CLARK.

